Laparoscopic Liver Surgery

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Nearly 18,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with liver cancer this year. Transplants and invasive surgeries are standard treatment options. Now, a less invasive approach offers a better option for patients.

Working with his wife helps Judson Russ get through his hectic days with a smile -- and some exciting news just made life even brighter. He says, "Recently, I found out my wife is now pregnant."

But a few months ago, Russ wasn't sure he'd be around to see their first child. He was diagnosed with liver cancer. Doctors said he needed a transplant. "I made the mistake of asking, 'So if I don’t do this transplant, how long do I have?' They told me six months to a year. At that point you’re in shock," Russ tells Ivanhoe.

Then he met laparoscopic surgeon Jay Redan, M.D., who found he didn't need a transplant after all. Not only could Dr. Redan remove the tumor with surgery, but he could do it laparoscopically, which is the same surgery but uses smaller tools and has a smaller incision.

"The big difference is they’re going to have much less pain, faster recovery. In terms of cancer procedures, someone can start their cancer treatment sooner, and hopefully even have a better long-term outcome," says Dr. Redan, who is from Florida Hospital in Orlando.

These tools allow surgeons to make a much smaller incision, and the magnified images make dissection safer and more precise.

Dr. Redan is one of only a handful of doctors performing laparoscopic surgery on organs like the liver -- a trend he hopes will change. "If anyone tells you you have to an open operation, I would always recommend to someone to seek out a possible alternative," Dr. Redan says.

Russ is thankful he did. He was out of the hospital the next day and back to work in two weeks. He says: "It's like a war story. This is what happened, and I dealt with it and came through fine." Now, he looks forward to watching his child grow up.

Open surgery may be necessary when tumors are very large. Transplants may be the only option for some patients, but overall, Dr. Redan says most patients are candidates for the laparoscopic procedure.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Melanie Trivento
Media Relations
Florida Hospital
2520 North Orange Ave. Suite 200
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 303-8217
melanie.trivento@flhosp.org
http://www.floridahospital.org